Communications network reliability improved in the event of short-term power cuts

Communications network reliability improved in the event of short-term power cuts

Published 14.05.2012

The reliability of communications networks and services will be improved in the event of short-term power cuts. Telecom operators will be obliged to guarantee the power supply of 3G mobile networks. Depending on the location of the base station, the electric supply must be guaranteed for 2 hours in cities and 4 hours in sparsely populated areas. This ensures the functionality of communications networks and services in the event of most power cuts.

The popularity of 3G networks has quickly grown in Finland, especially for the use of broadband services. Earlier, the power supply of 3G networks had to be guaranteed for 15 minutes, but now the requirement is the same as for 2G mobile networks. The obligation is included in FICORA's revised Regulation no. 54.

By way of regulation, it is not possible to oblige telecom operators to guarantee the power supply of communications networks if power cuts are long-lasting, even weeks. This can be best avoided by building underground cable infrastructure for the power supply system. FICORA collaborates with various players in order to develop the reliability of the power supply system in the event of storms, for example.

Safety improvements and easier installations

Also, the requirements for guaranteeing the power supply of the most critical data transfer systems has been restricted. The requirements for the access control of certain equipment facilities have been tightened. In addition, the revised regulation allows telecom operators to install broadband access networks higher in the ground than before, which is expected to promote the spread of broadband.

The revised regulation entering into force today, on 14 May 2012, on guaranteeing communications networks and services, has been in force for decades. When necessary, it has been updated to meet the development in the information society. For existing communications networks, operators have been given transitional periods of different lengths to fulfil the requirements for guaranteeing which enter into force now.